A few unorthodox machining tips
Shop Operations Columnist James Harvey shares a few unorthodox machining methods that have worked for him.
Magazine Column
Shop Operations
Owning company communications
Manager's Desk columnist Keith Jennings underscores the need for shop owners to remind their staff that it is the company—not its employees—that owns all business calls and electronic communications.
Flat stones for fine finishing
Abrasive stones commonly found in machine shops are fine for run-of-the-mill deburring and abrading, but absolutely not suitable for precision stoning. For that, you need a pair of carefully prepared, precision-ground flat stones.
Learn and don’t repeat
Whether or not you believe in New Year's resolutions, starting any new year with optimism and a positive attitude is a worthy idea and can't hurt anything. An important element is applying key lessons learned from the previous year.
Clever tools for finding an edge
The Shop Operations column in the December 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering covers a few clever tools for finding an edge.
Shop owners need to review costs of services at year’s end
Here's something that every shop should consider doing from time to time: a careful evaluation of the many business services and internal processes required to operate a successful company.
Perpendicularity: key to machining good parts
Checking perpendicularity is a recurring theme on the shop floor—one that deserves detailed discussion and special tools, according to the Shop Operations column in the October 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.
Shop owners help fellow shop owner after hurricane
Keith Jennings, who writes the Manager's Desk column for Cutting Tool Engineering, shares his thanks for being able to work after surviving the epicenter of Hurricane Harvey in August.
Manager’s Desk: Shop owner deals with theft
Keith Jennings, who writes the Manager's Desk column for Cutting Tool Engineering, never experienced being sad and mad at the same time until recently, according to his September column. The cause? A trusted employee who wasn't so trustworthy.
Shop Operations: A fresh look at 1-2-3 blocks
Many machinists fondly remember their early training or apprenticeships when they made 1-2-3 blocks from scratch under the watchful eye of a master toolmaker. These young machinists carefully machined the blocks oversize, heat-treated them and then ground them to size. They quickly learned that precisely holding size and geometric features to close limits is more challenging than it seems at first glance.
Shop Operations: Consider a 4-jaw independent lathe chuck
In the August 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering, Shop Operations Columnist Tom Lipton challenges readers to take a good look at the venerable 4-jaw independent lathe chuck. "Many machinists may have never used one. Hopefully, my call to arms will change that, and a whole new world of workholding will open up to them."
Manager’s Desk: Time to awaken the shop
Much of 2016 and 2017 has been a stressful roller coaster ride for our shop and me and my family as we have fought through a difficult economy—the worst in 30 years. Challenges remain, and business isn't completely wonderful again, but we have more optimism than a year ago, writes Keith Jennings, the Manager's Desk columnist for Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.